Various designs of electron accelerators with shielding from braking radiation are used for radiation sterilization. All the well-known sterilization units are designed for commercial batch sterilization production are located in special rooms where concrete walls up to 2.8 m thick serve as shielding. Such sterilization installations are large in size, heavy, and costly. They are unsuitable for use in clinical conditions, small-scale production, or laboratories.
Some known sterilization units are described in the following references:
1. "Accelerator Requirements for Electron Beam Processing." R. C. Becker et al. Radiation Physics and Chemistry. Vol. 14, 1979, pp. 353-375.
2. William J. Maher. "The Application of Electron Beam Equipment for Sterilization of Medical Devices." Radiation Physics and Chemistry. Vol. 15, 1980, pp. 99-106.
3. Gerald E. Hare. "IMPELA Electron Accelerators for Industrial Radiation Processing." Radiation Physics and Chemistry. Vol. 35, 1990, pp. 619-626.
Of the well-known sterilization units, the closest with respect to technical characteristics is the IMPELA unit based on the standing wave linear accelerator, which is selected as the prototype. The accelerating system, injector, micro-wave waveguide system, vacuum system, and beam scanning system are mounted on a special platform in this unit and located in a separate room with concrete walls. This installation possesses all of the above enumerated deficiencies.